Congress and corruption have been closely intertwined as the party and its I.N.D.I. Alliance which are yet to recover from the humiliating electoral defeat in the Bihar assembly elections is likely to find itself in another predicament due to a potential major financial scam in Karnataka.
On 13th November, the Congress state government authorised the rental of 46 mechanical sweeping machines for seven years at a cost of ₹613.25 crore. The devices are going to be placed within the Greater Bengaluru Authority’s (GBA) boundaries. HK Patil, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, informed reporters that the equipment would be used in all five GBA corporations.
The self-propelled mechanical sweepers, dumper trucks and human resources will be rented. A technical committee’s advice served as the basis for the decision. These mechanical sweeping equipment will be used on 1,682.10 kilometre of arterial and sub-arterial roads within Bengaluru’s 12,878.89 kilometre road network to keep the area clean.
Each equipment is anticipated to cost the authority almost ₹2 crore annually and the five recently established municipal corporations of Bengaluru would provide all of the funding. GBA at first suggested renting 59 sweeping machines for a total of ₹781 crore. However, while presenting the proposal to the cabinet, the Urban Development Department (UDD) reduced the number of vehicles to 46 while raising the price of each vehicle by ₹10 lakh.
Opposition, netizens draw attention to a possible scam
The development not only prompted the opposition to raise its eyebrows, but many people pointed out that the substantial figures attached to the purchase trigger suspicions and suggest yet another scandal in the state.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje stated that the extent of expenditure raises “serious concerns” regarding who benefits from the inflated prices and asserted that a “significant financial scandal is unfolding” in Karnataka.
She noted that even if the municipality paid the salaries of 46 drivers and 100 helpers for seven years, the total would still only be about ₹60 to 70 crores. The government is shelling out ₹613 crores, but even after adding machinery, labour, and maintenance, the amount should not surpass ₹100 crores. However, ₹613 crores are being spent by the government.
“This raises serious doubts about where the remaining ₹500 crores is going and who is benefiting from this inflated expenditure. I strongly urge the government to drop this proposal immediately and ensure full transparency for the people of Karnataka,” she expressed.
A massive financial scandal is unfolding in Karnataka. The Congress government has hired 46 road sweeping machines for 7 years at a shocking cost of ₹613 crores. A self-propelled road sweeper costs about ₹50 to 80 lakhs, which means 46 machines would come to roughly ₹37 to 38… pic.twitter.com/68zQVGaqLN
— Shobha Karandlaje (@ShobhaBJP) November 16, 2025
Janata Dal (Secular) leader Nikhil Kumar remarked that there are 26 sweeping machines in Bengaluru’s Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) yards that are not in use but the governemnt wants to spend ₹613 crore to rent 46 more machines at an annual cost of ₹1.9 crore each, despite the fact that the same machines only cost ₹1.3–3 crore to purchase outright.
Nikhil charged, “This is not bad math; this is math murdered, buried and cremated in broad daylight.”
He accused that while Boston Consulting Group (BCG) advocated a pay-for-performance model and the Expert Committee recommended buying the machines, “the DCMs’s (Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar) team created a new economic theory: choose the most expensive option and label it governance.”
Kumar then urged that Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and Monhandas Pai give this government a crash lesson in simple maths before another 600+ crore vanishes under the pretence of “innovation.”
Bengaluru has 26 sweeping machines lying unused in BBMP yards, yet this @INCKarnataka government, headed by our finance-loving DCM, now wants to blow ₹613 crore to rent 46 more at ₹1.9 crore per machine per year, even though the same machines cost only ₹1.3–3 crore to buy… pic.twitter.com/yIWErpy7r7
— Nikhil Kumar (@Nikhil_Kumar_k) November 17, 2025
An individual reiterated how the “math is not mathing,” and asked, “Rent 46 sweeping machines at 1 crore per year for 7 years. How does that add up to 613 crores?” The person added that the “bigger question” is whether these will be gathering dust like the 26 machines that are currently inactive because BBMP lacks the funds to “pay” the operator and staff.
The math is not mathing? ?
— Whitefield Rising (@WFRising) November 14, 2025
Rent 46 sweeping machines at 1crore per year, for 7 years.
How does that add up to 613 crores?
Bigger question – will these be catching dust as the current 26 machines lying unused, because BBMP does not have money to "pay" money to the employees…
Another user posed the same inquiries, accompanied by an image of a similar machine and stressed even if this is not the precise model, machines of this type usually cost approximately ₹60-70 lakh. “Why not buy outright and save public money? Something is seriously wrong here,” the account emphasised.
Why is Greater Bengaluru Authority spending ₹2 crore per year to rent a road-sweeping machine.
— #YeThikKarkeDikhao (@YTKDIndia) November 15, 2025
Even if this isn’t the exact same model, machines like this cost around ₹60–70 lakh to buy.
Why not buy outright and save public money?
Something is seriously wrong here. ? https://t.co/fvtDwVla4n pic.twitter.com/cdTYELyFlW
A person described the purchase as a “massive scam” and highlighted that experts asses the cost of each machine to be around 40-50 lakhs. Therefore, it would cost about ₹20 crores if the government were to buy them directly. “Big joke on those who threw out BJP from Karnataka,” he added.
Massive scam in Karnataka ? CONg govt hires 46 sweeping machines for 7 years for a whopping ₹613 Crores
— Sameer (@BesuraTaansane) November 16, 2025
Experts estimate the cost of each machine to be max 40-50 lakhs, so if the Govt were to purchase them outright it would cost approx ₹20 Crores
Big joke on those who… pic.twitter.com/w0joeDTDch
A netizen mocked that people are supposed to think there is no corruption by pointing out that the daily cost of operating this machine is ₹53 thousand for a single vehicle.
The Karnataka government approved renting out 46 mechanical sweeping machines for a period of seven years at a cost of ₹613 crore.
— Tweepreneur (@Tweepreneur_) November 16, 2025
>46 Machines
>On Rent
>Seven years
>₹613 Crore
That means the daily cost to run this machine is ₹53k per day for one vehicle, and people are… pic.twitter.com/JBJrryFG9p
Meanwhile, the government appears to proceed with the decision in spite of the mounting controversy.
How the decision was reached
GBA engaged in an extended discussion about whether to hire or buy sweeper vehicles outright, beginning in April. Two consulting firms were later hired for further evaluation after a technical committee led by R Selvamani, managing director of the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC), was initially established.
The technical committee pitched purchasing the equipment and hiring a different agency for operations and maintenance in its August report This strategy has been used till now bu the prospect of renting was rejected by the committee.
Afterward, GBA formed an internal committee and asked BCG and Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) Limited for assistance. According to BCG’s suggestions, an outright purchase would necessitate a significant financial outlay because each sweeping equipment would cost ₹3 crore, together with hook loaders and containers.
Hence, it recommended paying the suppliers 40% up advance, with the remaining amount to be reimbursed according to performance per kilometre. The company reportedly looked into the cost of renting the machineries, which came out to be more expensive per vehicle at ₹50 lakh. Due to the alleged “huge initial expenditure” associated with buying the devices, the cabinet decided to rent them instead.
Bengaluru now has about 26 cleaning machines, but their performance has been subpar and commuters frequently complain about the city’s deteriorating air quality index and dusty roads. Despite the former BBMP’s repeated attempts to acquire new equipment, the plan was put on hold for a number of reasons.
Another potential scam on the cards
Notwithstanding the assertions made by the government, both netizens and the opposition have already outlined significant flaws in the cost calculation and levelled grave allegations of financial fraud. Their apprehensions cannot be dismissed in light of the compromised history of the Congress governments, even in Karnataka.
This was reinforced in September when the Karnataka State Contractors Association (KSCA) expressed that corruption in several departments under the Congress has “doubled” compared to the earlier BJP rule.
“When you were leader of the opposition, you told us that after you come to power, no commission (kickback) would be sought by your government to clear pending bills. We regret to inform you that the commission has doubled now compared with the previous government,” the body charged in a letter, resulting in a massive embarrassment for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s government.
Moreover, KSCA President R Manjunath reported that Congress workers and supporters of elected officials were winning projects from government institutions which were subsequently “sub-contracted” to “senior contractors” in return for a specified share of the amount.
Now, the recent allegations have placed the Karnataka government in a challenging situation and more importantly, highlighted the likelihood of yet another possible scam involving the Congress.
